box office

noun

1

a

: an office (as in a theater) where tickets of admission are sold

b

: income from ticket sales (as for a film)

2

: the ability (as of a show) to attract ticket buyers

also : something that enhances that ability

any publicity is good box office

Examples of box office in a Sentence

The box office will open at 10:00 a.m.

Recent Examples on the Web

This box office success was helped by higher ticket prices at 3D screenings and the implication of the movie’s title that The Final Destination would wind up the franchise. —Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 16 May 2025

Its impact was, naturally, wider than box office numbers alone. —Vishal Menon, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2025

Though progress may be slow, Smith’s study found that the share of women directors has increased, from 7.5% to 13.6% among the top 100 box office films in the United States between 2015 and 2024. —Lauren Coates, Variety, 16 May 2025

The film, based loosely on a true story, was a box office hit and tapped into a cultural moment of rising skepticism toward government and institutions. —Tahar Rajab, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1741, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for box office

• interoffice

Kids Definition

box office

noun

: an office in a public place (as a theater or stadium) where admission tickets are sold